Glen Wilson / Via Courtesy of Sundance Institute
Produced by Ryan Coogler, the second feature from Shaka King is a formidable work of art. A late addition to the Sundance lineup, the film stars Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton, the young chair of the Black Panther Party’s Illinois chapter, and Lakeith Stanfield as William O’Neal, the undercover FBI informant who joins the group and betrays them. Kaluuya carries a grounded gravitas and is nothing short of sensational in his tour de force portrayal of the charismatic activist. Meanwhile, Stanfield’s chameleonlike nature serves his frantic character well here; it’s hard to pin down where his head’s at as he scrambles to survive. Throw in a handful of other notable performances (courtesy of Dominique Fishback,
2021 Sundance Film Festival Review – Marvelous and the Black Hole
Written and directed by Kate Tsang.
Starring Miya Cech, Rhea Perlman, Leonardo Nam, Kannon Omachi, Paulina Lule, and Keith Powell.
SYNOPSIS:
A teenage delinquent teams up with a surly children’s party magician to navigate her dysfunctional family and inner demons.
As a coming-of-age comedy with a quirky title,
Marvelous and the Black Hole is quite probably the most typically Sundance-y film of this year’s festival. And while familiar to a fault, it mines the flippant charms of star Miya Cech for every drop they’re worth across its breezy 81 minutes.